Daniel
I ditched my chinese sputter gun for a used h&s evolution, came with 2 nozzle sizes and made my modelling life so much easier&efficient, can only recommend their stuff

Munkyslut
Thanks Daniel, love the "sputter gun" haaaha excellent!
I must admit my old Badger gun was probably 10 years old when I was gifted it but it was very capable.
The market stall shite that passes as 'entry level' & 'value' is utterly useless bar spraying polish.
I'm happy to lay out a ton so maybe looking at an Iwata Eclipse, however the Grex guns look very interesting but a little more expensive.

Bill Newcomer
Following (NEVER airbrushed)

Munkyslut
Actually Bill I try to brush as much as I can, I really enjoy laying down a coat of colour by hand, I'm just not very good at it

Stefan Schacht
Hallo Munkyslut, here are my experience. I have used for 20 years two badger 150 with Humbrol and Revell enamel colors. I was satisfied with my results. Then I decided may be 10 years ago to use the Vallejo colors and it doesn't work, because they clogged the badger 150.
Then I look around and buy a H & S evolution two in one with the 0.2 and 0.4mm nozzle. I am very satisfied with the evolution because I can paint almost everything with it and the Vallejo Aircolor and is easy to handle. Meanwhile I have the evolution upgraded with a fPc-vault (fine-pressure-control), 0.15mm nozzle and paint volume control. I use the evolution in this configuration with artist airbrush colors for extra fine camouflage. Sd.Kfz. 2 Kettenkrad | Album by Echo 8 (1:72)
Cheers Stefan

Sergej I
Hi Munkyslut, I've been using now Iwata Revolution CR 0,4mm and H&S Ultra 0,2&0,4mm
Top positives:
Iwata has a rather blunt needle so no worries of bending it. Very insensible to clumsiness.
Iwata has smooooth action and no sprayingissues whatsoever. I did clog it when I filled with filthy acrylics haha, been on lacquer ever since.
H&S Ultra has less smooth action and is sometimes, very rarely, starting with some splats, havent yet figured out why.
Ultra has the best nozzle system I've seen. No tiny threads, just screw off the cap and the nozzle falls out, top for cleaning! Also nozzle and needles are serrated to show 0,2 or 0,4mm so its immediately obvious
Ultra has detachable paint cup. Some reviews complained they prefer screw-on cups, Ultra has just shape-fit. Never had any problems whatsoever, I am even very happy there are no threads, much better to clean.

So verdict? If you want to paint polyurethane acrylics, go with Ultra. It cleans easy!

Iwata is easier to operate over your model but 5 times the cleaning unless you'll be using lacquers. Thats AKI RealColors, Tamiya, Gunze C series... ones I use.

I use both brushes at 10psi, is enough, because lacquers are very thin.

Whatever you get, get also a scrap model with huuge wings (I have a Halifax bomber) and work it. Play with thinning, pressure, pre-post-shading, masking, do it all. A lot.

Munkyslut
Stefan & Sergej thanks for your recommendations.
I liked the old Badgers but the new brands like Iwata & Grex seem very very forward thinking & innovative.
H&S seem to be highly regarded as a quality brand, in fact I think a custom bike painter friend of mine uses them for fine details & intricate work.

I keep an old chopper bike tank as a test piece 😉

Bozzer
Mate, ain't you in the UK? If so, I bring great news!

Bozzer
I picked up the Badger 360 and I've never looked back! Even did my car brake calipers with it and touched up a scratch down the side, where some James Hunt keyed it! Have a look on the link above.

Munkyslut
Hi Boxzer yeah I'm in Buckinghamshire.
I'll check the link out!

Bozzer
Nice one fella. Manchester coming back at ya! It's a cracking site and there's some really good airbrushes. If you use the company, ignore the shipping information. It shows pending, the next thing you know, the postman is at your door! Delivery is normally around 3 days mate.

Treehugger
I have two Iwata Eclipse aribrushes, but I don't know I am no expert, I can't help but feel that they are more for airbrushing t-shirts than smaller kit models. Hm, I think I have the .35 and 0.50 needles. I also bought an aftermarket paint limiter (replaces the rear-handle part) that can be fitted.

The number one reason I chose Iwata Eclipse, was because of the large and self centering nozzle. The nozzle is a large brass piece (brass I guess), and is rather easy to fit onto the airbrush, as they aren't screwed on like nozzles usually are. Nozzles also tend to be tiny and very fragile and have to be screwed on afaik.

Treehugger
Hm, the ideal PSI for Iwata Eclipse is iirc, between 25 and 30. Makes me wonder if it performs worse at 15 psi. I guess I should try test that some time.

Testing is very important when using an airbrush I would argue, as it is practically the only SANE way you can learn without messing things up.

Treehugger
Also a good idea to have a few scrap models around, as it might be a little boring testing an airbursh on a plastic cup or a piece of paper. I would never use precious sheets of styrene for practicing airbrushing, that stuff is too expensive.

Treehugger
I would argue that at least, cleaning an Iwata Eclipse airbrush is fairly easy. I don't think I've ever taken it apart so far, ofc, I haven't been airbrushing as much as I should. I started using those el cheapo airbrushes from China. Oddly enough, the build quality of the ones I bought differed. E.g plastic vs metal handle. Centered and non-centered needle. :|

Munkyslut
Thanks Treehugger, a lot of information! Good to hear some first hand experience.

Bozzer, what a great site! I'll phone them tomorrow.
360 looks interesting, I like the idea of a gun with gravity AND syphon feed.

Andy Ball
Well, I've moved up from the Peoples' Republic, (and pretty good one too), to the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CR (0.15/0.4mm) 2 in 1. Mastering it now. Fabulous brush. But that's my humble opinion....

Bozzer
Mate, I find the 360 awesome! The cup maybe a tad small, but for fine stuff, its wicked. The jar can get in the way, at first, but you learn to adapt a slight angle of airbrushing. The capacity is awesome! You can easily paint a 1/25 car with it. It also helps you get in places where you normally would be impeded by your airline.

Treehugger
To clarify something I had been too vague about: The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is normally 0.35 I believe, but one can buy a conversion kit for the Eclipse HP-CS airbrush, so I bought a second Iwata airbrush together with a 0.50 conversion kit. So, one have to change the nozzle parts to fit any 0.50 needle. The idea is to use the 0.50 airbrush for primer, though I have not yet used it (hobby been on hold for a while now while idling and finally having moved to a new place).

Btw, I think the reason why I initially thought it was weird with my Iwata Eclipse, was that it was unusual not having a paint limiter knob by default, something I was used to.